detentionhttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/taxonomy/term/4209/all
enReligious leaders call on Home Secretary to put a time limit on immigration detentionhttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/25239
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<p>Religious leaders are calling on the Home Secretary to end the Government’s use of indefinite detention – calling it “unjust, ineffective and inhumane”.</p>
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<p>Religious leaders have issued a joint public statement calling on the Home Secretary to use her post-Brexit immigration bill to end the Government’s use of indefinite detention – calling it “unjust, ineffective and inhumane”.</p>
<p>Senior representatives of the Church of England, Catholic Church, Muslim Council of Britain, Hindu Council, Sikh Federation, Reform Judaism and others have urged the Government to include a 28-day limit on in the forthcoming bill, which will establish the UK’s post-Brexit immigration system.</p>
<p>Their statement reads:</p>
<p>“The UK is the only European country without a statutory time limit on immigration detention. The routine use of indefinite detention is unjust, ineffective and inhumane. Evidence shows that it causes huge harm – not only to those detained, but to their family, children, friends and community.</p>
<p>“The time to act is now. We urge the Government to put some fairness, decency and due process into our immigration system and urgently put a 28-day time limit on detention.”</p>
<p>Every year, the Home Office holds around 30,000 people on immigration grounds, including elderly people and survivors of rape, torture and slavery – making the UK’s one of the largest detention regimes in Europe. No judge signs off on their detention and there is no legal limit on how long they can be held purely for the administrative convenience of the Home Office.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The UK is the only country in Europe without any time limit on detention – an approach criticised by the UN Refugee Agency, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons and a cross-party parliamentary inquiry, among many others.</p>
<p>This intervention comes as human rights organisation Liberty launches a major public campaign to End Indefinite Detention. The religious leaders have also added their voices to Liberty’s petition making the same call to the Home Secretary.</p>
<p>Research by the British Medical Association, Amnesty International, Detention Action, Women for Refugee Women and many others has revealed that indefinite detention causes serious mental and physical harm.</p>
<p>Their findings add to the concerns expressed by Government-appointed reviewer Stephen Shaw about the impact of detention on the health and wellbeing of vulnerable people in his damning 2016 report, which recommended an urgent reduction in the use of detention. He is due to report on the Government’s progress in coming months.</p>
<p>Alternatives to detention are used effectively in many other countries, including Sweden – where intensive case management and engagement have led to low rates of detention, high rates of return and increased confidence in the system.</p>
<p>Canon Mark Oakley, Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral, said, “There’s no fairness, compassion or common sense in locking vulnerable people up and giving them no idea of when they might see their friends and family again.</p>
<p>“This is not about immigration. It is about how we treat fellow human beings. It cannot wait until Brexit is done and dusted – the Government must include a 28-day time limit on detention in its immigration bill. This suffering and injustice is happening every day in all our names. We must not walk by on the other side.”</p>
<p>Bishop Paul McAleenan, lead Catholic Bishop for migration and asylum<strong>,</strong> said, "It has been demonstrated time and time again that indefinite immigration detention not only violates people's basic human dignity, but that it serves no meaningful purpose.</p>
<p>“It is shameful that we lag behind every other EU country in abolishing this practice and I sincerely hope that the Government will commit to introducing a more humane system at the earliest opportunity.”</p>
<p>Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner, Senior Rabbi to Reform Judaism, said, “Britain has a proud record of treating people with decency and fairness. Accordingly, we deserve an immigration and asylum policy that is humane and sensible.</p>
<p>“Locking up nearly 30,000 men, women and children indefinitely every year is unjust and counterproductive. I urge the Home Secretary to place a time limit on immigration detention.”</p>
<p>Sanjay Jagatia, Director of the Hindu Council UK, said: “The human consequences of locking people up and giving them no idea when or if they will be released are shocking and shaming. This is a black hole at the heart of British justice and we must stand together to end it.”</p>
<p>Dr Muhammad Adrees, Convenor of the Muslim Council of Scotland, said, "The UK operates one of the strictest detention regimes in Europe and it is time we look at alternatives away from arbitrary detention.</p>
<p>“Above all, we must continue to fulfil our moral duty to help those who are fleeing, in some cases, unspeakable horrors and atrocities by providing them safety, dignity and opportunity to come to terms with what they've been through and to rebuild their lives.”</p>
<p>Bhai Amrik Singh, Chair of the Sikh Federation (UK), said, “We are the only country in Europe to have indefinite immigration detention. It has become routine, is unacceptable and must come to an end.</p>
<p>“There is evidence this cruel and inhumane practice is causing harm and tearing families apart. In this country we have a proud tradition of upholding justice and need to treat people with respect and dignity by introducing a 28-day time limit.”</p>
<p>Rabbi Aaron Goldstein, Senior Rabbi, Liberal Judaism, said, “Indefinite detention causes huge harm – not only to vulnerable people who are incarcerated, but to their family, their children, their friends and their community. We cannot ignore this injustice perpetrated in our name.”</p>
<p>Derek McAuley, Chief Officer of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches, said, “Detention without limit destroys lives and has no place in a society which recognises the worth and dignity of all people. Our immigration system should reflect the values of justice and humanity that we aspire to uphold – at the moment it does not”.</p>
<p>Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg, Senior Rabbi, Masorti Judaism, said, “Indefinite detention violates the basic human right to justice, freedom of movement, and to know, if one is detained, why and for how long, and to have access to due process of law.</p>
<p>“Furthermore, detainees are often already traumatised by persecution and torture, may have no one to support them from ‘outside’, and may lack the language skills needed to understand the system. This leaves them lonely, frightened and bewildered.”</p>
<p>Sarah Teather, Director of the Jesuit Refugee Service, said, “At the Jesuit Refugee Service, we see again and again how immigration detention is life-destroying for those we accompany and serve. The UK is unique in Europe in having no limit on how long people can be held in immigration detention. The uncertainty caused by indefinite detention is a source of extreme stress and anxiety and contributes to a deterioration in physical and mental health, often compounding existing vulnerabilities.</p>
<p>“While some people are held in detention only for short periods of time, others can be detained for years before being released back into the community. The introduction of a 28-day time limit and the implementation of community-based alternatives to detention are now more urgent than ever.”</p>
<p>Full list of signatories:</p>
<ul>
<li>Canon Mark Oakley, Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral</li>
<li>Bishop Paul McAleenan, lead Catholic Bishop for migration and asylum</li>
<li>Muslim Council of Britain</li>
<li>Sanjay Jagatia, Director of the Hindu Council UK</li>
<li>Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner, Senior Rabbi to Reform Judaism</li>
<li>Dr Muhammad Adrees, Convenor of the Muslim Council of Scotland</li>
<li>Rabbi Aaron Goldstein, Senior Rabbi, Liberal Judaism</li>
<li>Derek McAuley, Chief Officer of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches</li>
<li>Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg, Senior Rabbi, Masorti Judaism</li>
<li>Bhai Amrik Singh, the Chair of the Sikh Federation (UK)</li>
<li>Jas Singh, board member of The Sikh Network</li>
<li>Sarah Teather, Director of the Jesuit Refugee Service</li>
</ul>
<p>* Liberty&nbsp;<a title="Liberty" href="https://www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk/" target="_blank">https://www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk/</a></p>
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Beliefs and ValuesEqualityPeople and PowerNews BriefBrexitdetentionfaith groupsfaith leadershome officehome secretaryhuman rightsimmigrationJusticelibertyUK NewsSat, 17 Feb 2018 06:38:09 +0000agency reporter25239 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukFederal judge orders government to grant ACLU access to US ciitizen detained in Iraqhttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/24911
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<p>A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to allow the American Civil Liberties Union immediate and unmonitored access to an American secretly detained by the US military in Iraq for months.</p>
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<p>A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to allow the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) immediate and unmonitored access to an American secretly detained by the US military in Iraq for months, in order to ascertain whether he wants to challenge his detention in court and whether he wants to be represented by the ACLU or other counsel.</p>
<p>“It’s critical that the judge has rejected the Trump administration’s attempt to thwart judicial scrutiny of the detention of a US. citizen”, said ACLU attorney Jonathan Hafetz, who argued in court on the issue on 11 December 2017. “Ordering the government to allow the ACLU access to this American is an essential protection of his constitutional rights and a major victory for the rule of law against unchecked executive power.”</p>
<p>The decision by Judge Tanya Chutkan of the federal district court in Washington DC, denied the government’s motion to dismiss an ACLU habeas corpus petition challenging the unidentified citizen’s detention. The judge’s ruling also ordered the government to refrain from transferring the American until the ACLU gains access to him and informs the court of his wishes. The New York Times had reported last Wednesday that the Trump administration was considering transferring the detainee to Saudi Arabia.<br /><br />In her ruling, Judge Chutkan called “disingenuous at best” the government’s argument that the ACLU’s suit should be dismissed because the ACLU did not know the detainee’s wishes when the government itself was blocking the detainee from meeting with the ACLU. The judge also deemed the government’s claim that the detainee should continue to be denied a lawyer until it decides what to do with him “remarkable and troubling.”</p>
<p>In response to a court order issued during the first hearing in the case on 30 November, the government informed the court that the FBI agents questioning the American “for law enforcement purposes” advised him of his Miranda rights (a right to silence warning given by police in the United States to criminal suspects in police custody) and that he has asked for a lawyer.</p>
<p>The government still has not identified the citizen, who has been held as an “enemy combatant” since approximately 14 September for allegedly fighting on behalf of ISIS in Syria.</p>
<p>* Read the judge's ruling <a href="https://www.aclu.org/legal-document/order?redirect=legal-document/aclu-v-mattis-order" target="_blank">here</a></p>
<p>* American Civil Liberties Union <a href="https://www.aclu.org/" title="https://www.aclu.org/">https://www.aclu.org/</a></p>
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People and PowerNews Briefamerican civil liberties unionconstitutional rightsdetentionIraqus citizenUS governmentWorld NewsFri, 29 Dec 2017 07:58:14 +0000agency reporter24911 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukEgypt's president urged to free imprisoned photojournalisthttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/24732
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<p>The President of the International Federation of Journalists has&nbsp; written to Egypt's&nbsp; President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi expressing concern over the detention of photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid and calling for his release.</p>
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<p>Writing on behalf of 600,000 journalists around the world, the president of the International Federation of journalists (IFJ), last week addressed a&nbsp;letter<a href="http://www.ifj.org/fileadmin/documents/IFJ_letter_to_Egypt_President_Mr._El-Sisi_24112017.pdf" title="Initiates file download" class="download"> </a>to Egypt's&nbsp; President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, in which he expressed grave concern over the detention of fellow Egyptian photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid, also known as 'Shawkan'.</p>
<p>Shawkan was arrested in Cairo, capital of Egypt, on 14 August 2013 during an assignment for the now-dissolved British photo agency Demotix, in which he covered the police crackdown of protesters on Rabaa Square.</p>
<p>The journalist, who has been behind bars for over four years, is in poor health and suffers from chronic anemia and hepatitis C.</p>
<p>“We are extremely concerned about our colleague’s health, which has steadily deteriorated over the years in jail", said Philippe Leruth, IFJ President. “His condition is serious and he needs urgent medical attention”. </p>
<p>Extraordinarily, two years into his dention, Shawkan was charged with multiple accounts including “damaging national unity”, “terrorising citizens” and “attempted murder of police officers”. </p>
<p>Court proceedings however, showed no evidence against him. His colleagues and his employer, who submitted testimonies to support his case, Egyptian journalists and the IFJ are all convinced of his innocence.</p>
<p>“Shawkan is not guilty and should have been freed the day of his arrest, as the two international photojournalists arrested with him were” , added Philippe Leruth. “I therefore urge you Mr. President, to use all the powers at your disposal to ensure Shawkan is freed and reunited with his grieving family as soon as possible”. </p>
<p>There are currently over 20 journalists behind bars in Egypt according to different reports, including Hisham Gaafar, who has been detained since October 2015 for “receiving illegal foreign funds” and whose health condition is also serious; Ismael al-Iskandarani, an eminent reporter and expert on Sinai affairs who was imprisoned for two years without conviction; and Mahmud Hussein, a reporter with Al Jazeera, who was arrested in December last year and charged with “disturbing public security and spreading false news.”</p>
<p>The IFJ has repeatedly called on Egyptian authorities to stop arresting and intimidating journalists for no other reason than covering Egypt’s current events.</p>
<p>* International Federation of Journalists <a href="http://www.ifj.org/" title="http://www.ifj.org/">http://www.ifj.org/</a></p>
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People and PowerNews BriefdetentionEgyptinternational federation of journalistsintimidationjournalistspress freedomprotestWorld NewsFri, 01 Dec 2017 08:03:13 +0000agency reporter24732 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukFaith leaders secretly travel to Manus detention camp, condemn government inactionhttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/24688
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<p>Two&nbsp;Australian Christian leaders have returned from Manus Island, where they met Manus church leaders and spent nearly 24 hours in the detention camp with the 340 men detained there.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>Australian Christian leaders Pastor Jarrod McKenna and Anglican parish priest Fr Dave Smith returned on 22 November 2017 from Manus Island, where they met Manus church leaders and spent nearly 24 hours in the detention camp with the 340 men detained there.&nbsp;</p>
<p>They spent five days on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea, and were smuggled into the camp by supportive locals. Fr Smith, priest of Holy Trinity in Dulwich Hill, spent seven hours in the camp, while McKenna, pastor of Perth’s Cornerstone Church, remained there for 25 hours after the navy disrupted his first attempt to leave.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The pair heard why the men in the camp fear to leave it and filmed interviews with many refugees and asylum seekers.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Speaking of his time in the camp, Pastor McKenna stated: “The kindness the men in the camp showed us, when our nation has been so cruel, was so overwhelming. They fed us, despite having so little food, they washed our feet when we fell in the mud, despite having so little water. As a Christian, it overwhelmed me. I wept with love.</p>
<p>“The news yesterday that police have forcibly removed people from the camp, and arrested journalist Behrouz Boochani, who we spent hours with in the camp, horrifies me.”</p>
<p>“The police have now destroyed all of the men’s possessions, food and water. It is even more obvious and urgent that the Australian government must evacuate these men immediately to safety in Australia,” Mr McKenna said.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Fr Dave Smith, said: “I have enormous respect for the brave men we met in the camp. They find their strength in community, in supporting each other, and I would be proud to have them as neighbours.</p>
<p>“But the Australian government is attempting to break up their community, destroy their support structures, in order to force them to endure years more of indefinite detention. It is absolutely inexcusable.”</p>
<p>“Churches across Australia have been deeply concerned for a long time about what’s happening on Manus. But because of government secrecy and misinformation, they did not know the truth.”</p>
<p>“I went to Manus so I could show Christians in Australia what is really happening there. Now, I believe we will see a very strong and unified response. Churches will demand safety and justice for these people.”</p>
<p>Both men say the situation in the Manus camp is critical, and only the Australian Government has the capacity and responsibility to ensure the refugees and people seeking asylum are safe. All international and Australian observers agree that the only safe thing to do is evacuate these men to Australia.&nbsp;</p>
<p>* Pastor Jarrod McKenna and Anglican parish priest Fr Dave Smith are available for interview in Sydney.&nbsp;Media inquiries: Zoe Edwards: 0400 144 794</p>
<p>* A small selection of vision of their trip is available here, further footage can be provided on request:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dropbox.com%2Fsh%2Fq7yr3lgjrrsnnlz%2FAABzzEsOzWpmcHmENcqwLHD7a%3Fdl%3D0&amp;h=ATN3g7Q9yo0rOykMM3MOWJ7bJQs8KIV6eAfz2-5dxejMSHq-CUV9PQbgf2cVBnEm5IRYg36-NxrPx1-4xgmkYpTWq50JAIBqKesJ1jTes1rxobxOmJG8WHpUoBwgGHfdEtkayOIJRRN9i2h-L9VY9FaL3-gW6pSAi6xoOmPmsKw5EK0-MGeATHkJuHr658BLSpK1rrdxTboZ0p6rmmKw8UWgs3Fk1afROPYMnj9g0P-Vn2dFosuusAMqk9pHIaS9UJDdyEnyiJJPGS-JxNviFEaz6aqOCetyUMTQ53z9NCzWtA" target="_blank" data-ft="&quot;-U&quot;}" data-lynx-mode="origin" rel="nofollow">https://www.dropbox.com/…/q7yr3l…/AABzzEsOzWpmcHmENcqwLHD7a…</a>&nbsp;</p>
<p>* The trip was supported by GetUp members, who donated funds to cover travel, insurance, and associated costs for the delegation.</p>
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Beliefs and ValuesNews Briefasylum seekersAustraliadetentiondetention centreManusManus IslandrefugeesWorld NewsFri, 24 Nov 2017 00:10:37 +0000agency reporter24688 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukHoward League responds to HMIP's annual report on detained childrenhttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/24679
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<p>The Howard League for Penal Reform has responded to HM Inspectorate of Prisons’ annual report on the experiences of detained children aged 12 to 18.</p>
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<p>The Howard League for Penal Reform has responded to HM Inspectorate of Prisons’ annual report on the experiences of detained children aged 12 to 18, published on Wednesday&nbsp; 22 November 2017.</p>
<p class="pullquote">Frances Crook, Chief Executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “Once again, this annual report presents an appalling picture. Children are being harmed.</p>
<p class="pullquote">“The Howard League is representing children who have been held in solitary confinement for long periods of time. Boys hardly ever see daylight, have a very poor diet, get little or no help with their problems and even getting a shower is a challenge. If we treated animals like this, it would be a national scandal.</p>
<p class="pullquote">“The inspectorate is right to draw attention to the disproportionate numbers of black and minority ethnic children, and children who have been in care, in custody. It raises serious questions about the sentencing and remand decisions of the youth courts.”</p>
<p class="pullquote"></p>
<p class="pullquote">* Read HMIP report <a href="http://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2017/11/6.3903_HMIP_Children-in-Custody-2016-17_FINAL_WEB_221117.pdf" target="_blank">here</a></p>
<p class="pullquote">* The Howard League <a href="http://howardleague.org/" title="http://howardleague.org/">http://howardleague.org/</a></p>
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Beliefs and ValuesEqualityNews BriefchildrendetentionHMIPHoward League for Penal ReforminspectionsprisonsUK NewsThu, 23 Nov 2017 08:12:03 +0000agency reporter24679 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukChina's draft law has 'no basic fair-trial protections'http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/24610
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<p>China's draft National Supervision Law allows detainees to be held in a secret location for up to six months.</p>
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<p>China’s legislature should substantially revise its new draft National Supervision Law to include fair trial protections for corruption suspects, says Human Rights Watch. The draft National Supervision Law does not guarantee detainees access to lawyers or family members, and allows them to be held in a secret location for up to six months.</p>
<p>Once in effect, the law will further strengthen the Chinese Communist Party’s control over its ongoing anti-corruption campaign, one that has been driven by the party disciplinary agency, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI).</p>
<p>“Giving China’s graft-busters the authority to hold people incommunicado for months encourages forced confessions and other well-documented abuses,” said Sophie Richardson, China director of Human Rights Watch.“Mistreating suspects is likely to hinder, rather than help, the purported campaign to fight corruption.”</p>
<p>On 6 November 2017, the National People’s Congress Standing Committee Legislative Affairs Commission released a draft National Supervision Law. The draft law outlines the powers and functions of a new anti-graft agency, the National Supervision Commission, which is slated to start work in March 2018. The commission will consolidate existing graft-fighting powers vested in various government departments. It will be empowered to investigate anyone exercising public authority – including officials, managers in state-owned companies, and public school managers. The commission will be led by the Communist Party and will share space and personnel with the CCDI.</p>
<p>The National Supervision Commission will have a range of investigative powers, including the powers to detain a corruption suspect for investigation under a new mechanism called <em>liuzhi</em>. Liuzhi is designed to replace <em>shuanggui</em>, a secret detention mechanism run by the party for party members. Human Rights Watch has criticized shuanggui’s use of arbitrary detention, solitary confinement, torture, and enforced disappearance, and has called for its abolition. (<a href="http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/24469" title="http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/24469">http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/24469</a>)</p>
<p>Liuzhi will, at least on paper, offer some improvements over shuanggui. Under the draft law, liuzhi will be codified and subjected to stricter internal procedures; detentions will have time limits – three months, and, upon approval, another three months; families will be notified within 24 hours; and interrogations will be videotaped.</p>
<p>But these limited measures are unlikely to deter abuses. While interrogators will now be required to videotape the interrogations, they are not obligated to disclose them to the detainees, making it difficult to seek accountability. The requirement that family members be notified comes with the caveat that such notification can be waived if it “impedes investigation.”</p>
<p>Still, liuzhi will afford graft investigators enormous power over detainees, providing no basic fair-trial protections. Liuzhi detainees are not guaranteed access to lawyers or redress mechanisms should they encounter abuses; they will also be held in undisclosed “designated locations,” likely solitary confinement cells. Shuanggui is usually carried out in unofficial facilities, typically rooms in hostels with special features, such as padded walls or a lack of windows, to prevent suicides or escapes. There is also no effective external or independent oversight over the conduct of the commission’s graft investigators.</p>
<p>It is estimated that tens of thousands of people have been subjected to shuanggui every year. Former detainees, lawyers and family have told Human Rights Watch that those held in shuanggui are subjected to prolonged sleep deprivation, being forced into stress positions for extended periods of time, deprivation of water and food, and severe beatings. According to one officer who has carried out shuanggui, the indefinite isolation of the detention – which itself can amount to torture – causes detainees’ minds to “collapse after… three to five days” and “answer everything you ask.” After 'confessing' to corruption, they are typically brought into the criminal justice system, convicted, and sentenced to often lengthy prison terms.</p>
<p>Chinese lawyers and constitutional law scholars have raised concerns about liuzhi as well as questioned if the draft law violates the institutional arrangements as outlined in the Chinese constitution, by adding one top government authority to the existing three institutions that answer to the National People’s Congress.</p>
<p>“Putting a veneer of legality on an extra-legal detention system makes it no less abusive,” Richardson said. “The Chinese government claims that the draft law shows it’s committed to the rule of law, but if that were true it would abolish liuzhi and shuanggui, and investigate and prosecute corruption through a state-run, rights-respecting justice system.”</p>
<p>* Human Rights Watch&nbsp;<a title="HRW" href="https://www.hrw.org/" target="_blank">https://www.hrw.org/</a></p>
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Beliefs and ValuesPeople and PowerNews Briefanti-corruptionchinadetentionfair trialshuman rightshuman rights watchliuzhiprotectionrule of lawshuangguWorld NewsMon, 13 Nov 2017 07:43:46 +0000agency reporter24610 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukNew report on detention of Palestinian teens in East Jerusalemhttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/24527
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<p>A new report by two Israeli human rights organisations 'reveals broad, systemic abuse'&nbsp; of the human rights of hundreds of Palestinian teenagers arrested every year in East Jerusalem.</p>
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<p>A new report, <em>Unprotected: The Detention of Palestinian Teenagers in East Jerusalem</em>, published by Israeli human rights NGOs HaMoked: Center for the Defence of the Individual, and B’Tselem – The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, reveals broad, systemic abuse by Israeli authorities of the human rights of hundreds of Palestinian teenagers arrested every year in East Jerusalem.&nbsp;</p>
<p>According to 60 affidavits that B’Tselem and HaMoked collected from May 2015 to October 2016, Palestinian teenagers from East Jerusalem are pulled out of bed in the middle of the night, unnecessarily handcuffed and interrogated without being given the opportunity to speak to a lawyer or their parents before the questioning begins and without being informed of their right to remain silent. They are then held under harsh conditions, repeatedly remanded to custodial detention for additional period of days and even weeks, even once their interrogation has ended. In some cases, all this is attended by verbal abuse or threats and physical abuse.</p>
<p>The boys find themselves alone in a threatening and bewildering situation, with no one explaining what they are suspected of, what their rights are, whom they may confer with, how long the process will take and when they will return to their homes and families. Until they are released, they have no adult they can trust by their side and their parents are kept away. These arrest and interrogation practices leave authorities free to pressure the detained minors into confessing to allegations. And indeed, many sign involuntary confessions, some which are false and others written in a language they do not understand.</p>
<p>With a view to granting legitimacy to this cruel policy, the authorities cloak it in various legalistic justifications: they rely on the slim exceptions provided in the law or adopt a literal, technical interpretation of the protections it affords minors, thereby rendering these safeguards hollow and meaningless. Yet by doing so, authorities do no more than create a semblance of legality:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>The arrest:</strong> The affidavits collected for the research show that arrest is the police’s preferred course of action: only in 13 per cent of the cases did police refrain from arrest, even though – under Israeli law –&nbsp; minors may be arrested only as a last resort.</li>
<li><strong>Physical restraints:</strong> Restraints may be used on minors only in exceptional cases, yet the affidavits show that this is the rule rather than the exception: In 81 per cent of the cases, the boys were handcuffed before being placed in the vehicle that took them to the interrogation site; 70 per cent were kept in restraints during the interrogation sessions.</li>
<li><strong>Night interrogation:</strong> Israeli law prohibits interrogating minors at night, subject to specific exceptions. Nevertheless, a quarter of the boys said they were interrogated at night, in contravention of the law. 91 per cent of boys who were arrested at home were arrested at night, and some arrived at the interrogation after a sleepless night.</li>
<li><strong>The right to remain silent</strong>: Interrogators informed the boys of their right to remain silent in only 71 per cent of the cases, but most of the boys (70 per cent) did not understand what this meant and were afraid to remain silent.</li>
<li><strong>The right to counsel:</strong> Interrogators allowed only 70 per cent of the boys to speak to a lawyer prior to the interrogation, and even then only by means of a brief meeting or a phone conversation, which failed to help the minors understand their rights.</li>
<li><strong>The right to have a parent present during the interrogation:</strong> While the law grants this right to minors suspected of an offence and not to detainees, the police does have discretion on the matter and can extend it to a minor in detention. In 95 per cent of the cases, the boys were in the interrogation room on their own, without parents or other relatives.</li>
<li><strong>In the interrogation room:</strong> The lack of protection and the fact that the boys find themselves alone in the interrogation room mean that interrogators are able to harm them physically and emotionally, taking advantage of the loopholes in Israeli law that allow using violence during interrogation and of the fact that the mechanisms in place for investigating complaints regarding ill-treatment and torture are ineffective. Twenty-five percent of the boys who gave affidavits for this report said interrogators employed some degree of violence against them; 55 per cent reported shouting, threats and verbal abuse from the interrogators; 23 per cent said they were denied access to the toilet, and 26 per cent said their requests for food and/or drink were denied. Forty-three percent of the boys received their first meal more than ten hours after being taken into custody. This method of interrogation is partly what led to 83 per cent of the boys signing confessions, 80 per cent of which were in Hebrew, so they did not understand the statements they were signing.&nbsp;</li>
<li><strong>Holding conditions:</strong> The law stipulates that minors be held in age-appropriate conditions.&nbsp; Holding conditions at the Russian Compound police station in Jerusalem, where most of the teenagers who gave affidavits for this report were taken, are light years away from these provisions, and do not allow the detainees to maintain their dignity. The supply of toiletries was incomplete and irregular, and none of the boys received a change of clothes.&nbsp; In addition, during their detention at the Russian Compound, none of the boys were given any opportunity for meaningful activities and most remained locked in their cells for most hours of the day and night. They were allowed to contact their families in rare cases only.</li>
</ul>
<p>These practices cannot be viewed as separate from the policy of Israeli authorities to encourage Palestinian residents to leave East Jerusalem: strict bans imposed on residential construction, forcing East Jerusalem residents to live in overcrowded conditions or risk building without a permit and then live in fear of demolition; stringent policies with regards to family reunification do not allow East Jerusalem residents who married Palestinians from elsewhere in the West Bank or from the Gaza Strip to live with their spouses in the city; and institutional, systemic discrimination practiced in municipal and state budgeting, as a result of which East Jerusalem residents suffer from substandard infrastructure and a chronic shortage of public services.</p>
<p>Given all of the above, one of the grave conclusions arising from the report is that real change will come only if the reality in Jerusalem is completely overhauled. The reality described in this report is part of the underpinnings of Israeli control over the Palestinian population of East Jerusalem. So long as this control continues, Israeli authorities will in all probability continue to treat Palestinians in East Jerusalem as unwanted, less equal people, with all that implies.</p>
<p>Read the full report&nbsp;<em>Unprotected :The Detention of Palestinian Teenagers in East Jerusalem</em> <a title="report" href="http://www.btselem.org/download/201710_unprotected_eng.pdf" target="_blank">here&nbsp;</a></p>
<p>* B'Tselem - The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories&nbsp;<a title="B&#039;Tselem" href="http://www.btselem.org/" target="_blank">http://www.btselem.org/</a></p>
<p>* HaMoked - Centre for the Defence of the Individual&nbsp;<a title="HaMoked" href="http://www.hamoked.org/home.aspx" target="_blank">http://www.hamoked.org/home.aspx</a></p>
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EqualityPeace and NonviolencePeople and PowerNews BriefabuseB'TselemdetentionHaMokedhuman rightsisraelpalestineteenagersWorld NewsMon, 30 Oct 2017 07:19:37 +0000agency reporter24527 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukLetter to Amber Rudd on Brook House Immigration Removal Centrehttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/24466
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<p>Rebecca Hilsenrath, Chief Executive of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, has written to the Home Secretary about the concerns over Brook House Immigration Removal Centre raised by a recent BBC Panorama programme.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>The Chief Executive of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Rebecca Hilsenrath, has written to the Home Secretary Amber Rudd, about&nbsp;the concerns over Brook House Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) raised by a recent BBC Panorama programme. The letter has now been published on the Commission's website.</p>
<p>"I am writing to you in relation to the significant concerns raised by the BBC Panorama programme <em>Undercover: Britain’s Immigration Secrets </em>,&nbsp;which aired on 4 September 2017. The programme featured undercover footage of detainee custody officers at Brook House Immigration Removal Centre (IRC), which is managed by G4S. These officers were seen humiliating and abusing immigration detainees, including apparently perpetrating a serious physical assault witnessed, but not reported, by a member of healthcare staff.</p>
<p>"As you know, the Equality and Human Rights Commission is Great Britain’s national equality body and has been awarded an ‘A’ status as a National Human Rights Institution by the United Nations. We are an independent statutory body, with the mandate to encourage equality and diversity, eliminate unlawful discrimination, and protect and promote the human rights of everyone in Britain. Under the provisions of the Equality Act 2006, the Commission has a range of powers at its disposal to discharge its statutory responsibilities, from the provision of advice and information (under section 13 of the Act) to taking legal enforcement action (using one or more of the powers contained in sections 20 to 33 of the Act). The Commission has power under section 30 of the Act to institute legal proceedings including by way of judicial review in relation to any of its functions, and need not be a victim of the unlawful act (or failure to act) to which Human Rights Act proceedings relate.</p>
<p>"We have a statutory role to advise government on the compatibility of policy and legislation with equality and human rights law, and to encourage compliance with Section 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998&nbsp; in the exercise of public functions.</p>
<p>"When carrying out public functions, public authorities must comply with their non-discrimination obligations under the Equality Act 2010, the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED), the Human Rights Act 1998, and international human rights treaties, which are binding under international law, including the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment (CAT). These obligations cannot be delegated, and it remains the state’s responsibility to ensure compliance with human rights law and the PSED where public functions are outsourced to private contractors.</p>
<p>"In light of these obligations, we set out below our concerns in relation to the evidence of abuse aired by Panorama, and advise on the steps we consider are now required to ensure compliance with the investigative duty under Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).</p>
<p>"The Commission considers that the Panorama footage contains evidence of arguable breaches of the Article 3 rights of immigration detainees. In reaching this conclusion, we consider the following facts are particularly significant:</p>
<ul>
<li>the footage shows deliberate acts of humiliation and abuse, including a ‘choking’ incident that appears to amount to an unlawful physical assault</li>
<li>the people being mistreated are in detention and the perpetrators are state agents charged with their care</li>
<li>many of the detainees appear to be mentally unwell and vulnerable, and include a child</li>
</ul>
<p>"This gives rise to an investigative obligation which can be discharged in a number of ways. In order to comply with that obligation however the investigation must be prompt, effective, independent, subject to public scrutiny, and enable victims to participate. It appears in this instance that those conditions can only be met by holding an independent inquiry.</p>
<p>"To ensure lessons are learnt and action taken to prevent future violations of immigration detainees’ Article 3 rights, the inquiry should be broad enough to take into consideration not only the actions of the officers directly involved in incidents featured in the Panorama programme, but also the surrounding circumstances that enabled these incidents to occur without immediate consequences or sanctions. The abuse – even if confined to a small portion of staff – was seemingly perpetrated openly within the IRC, without being detected and/or addressed by G4S senior management or the Home Office.</p>
<p>"There is also evidence that the behaviour caught on camera may be indicative of a wider, systemic problem with human rights compliance at Brook House IRC and IRCs generally. For example, the Commission applied to intervene in the case of R (HA) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2012] EWHC 979 (Admin), in which a court held that treatment of a detainee at Brook House and other IRCs amounted to a breach of Article 3.</p>
<p>"The Commission believes this raises concerns about the adequacy of government systems to ensure human rights compliance in the outsourcing of contracts for Home Office functions, where the need to ensure human rights are respected is paramount. We recommend that the terms of reference for the inquiry should be broad enough to enable it to make findings and recommendations that will enhance human rights and equality protections generally in this field of public procurement.</p>
<p>"Accordingly, the Commission considers that the inquiry should investigate Home Office outsourcing arrangements for IRC’s, contractual compliance and oversight arrangements, and the efficacy of the regulatory system.</p>
<p>"Finally, the Commission notes that the Panorama footage presents stark evidence of the harmful impact of indefinite detention on detainees’ mental health. We repeat our previous calls for the Government to use immigration detention only as a last resort, and to introduce a statutory time limit of 28 days for immigration detention. The UK is the only country in the European Union without a statutory time limit for immigration detention, and continued use of indefinite detention in the UK has been criticised by UN Human Rights Council members&nbsp; and the all-party Parliamentary groups on refugees and migration .</p>
<p>"We consider that the inquiry will present an opportunity for the Government to consider the impact of the use of indefinite detention on detainees’ mental health, and the extent to which this may amount to, or may contribute to conditions that amount to inhuman and degrading treatment. The Commission recommends that this question is included within the inquiry’s scope.</p>
<p>"In light of the requirement for an Article 3 compliant investigation to be promptly held, we ask you to confirm within 14 days whether the Government will institute such an inquiry, and if not by what means it considers that the investigative duty will be met. Your response will enable the Commission to consider further whether it should exercise any of its statutory powers in relation to this matter. We would welcome the opportunity to meet with officials from your department to provide further advice on both the form and terms of reference for the inquiry to comply with Article 3.</p>
<p>"I look forward to hearing from you.</p>
<p>Yours sincerely,</p>
<p>Rebecca Hilsenrath"</p>
<h4></h4>
<p>*The Panorama programme <em>Undercover: Britain’s Immigration Secrets </em>is on the BBC i-player <a title="Panorama" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b094mhsn/sign/panorama-undercover-britains-immigration-secrets" target="_blank">here</a></p>
<p>*Section 6 of the Human Rights Act is <a title="HRA" href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/42/section/6" target="_blank">here</a></p>
<h4></h4>
<p>* Equality and Human Rights Commission&nbsp;<a title="EHRC" href="https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en" target="_blank">https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en</a></p>
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Beliefs and ValuesPeople and PowerNews BriefAmber RuddBrook Housedetentionequality and human rights commissionEuropean Convention on Human Rightshome secretaryimmigrationUK NewsThu, 19 Oct 2017 07:10:46 +0000agency reporter24466 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukHigh Court rules Government redefinition of torture is unlawful http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/24432
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<p>The High Court has ruled that the Government's redefinition of torture in immigration detention policy is unlawful.</p>
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<p>A group of unlawfully detained torture victims, including Mr PO who had been beaten, knifed and flogged in homophobic attacks, have been successful in their legal challenge at the High Court.&nbsp; The ruling found that the Home Office narrowing the definition of torture in its flagship policy lacked a “rational or evidence base”.<br />&nbsp;<br />The Home Office may now face dozens of unlawful detention claims and is being forced to change how it treats thousands of torture victims in detention. <br />&nbsp;<br />Aspects of Home Office policy to identify and release victims of torture and other vulnerable detainees from immigration detention were challenged by seven detainees and Medical Justice, the charity that sent volunteer doctors to assist two of them in detention.&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;<br />The seven detainees included victims of sexual and physical abuse, trafficking, sexual exploitation, homophobic attacks, a child abused by loan sharks, and a young man kidnapped and abused by Taliban.&nbsp; The Home Office narrowed the definition of torture used in the new 'Adults at Risk' policy, excluding the seven from being recognised as torture victims.&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />&nbsp;<br />The judge stated that the definition of 'torture' intended for use in the policy would require medical practitioners to “reach conclusions on political issues which they cannot rationally be asked to reach”.&nbsp; <br />&nbsp;<br />The Home Office dismissed warnings from Medical Justice whose evidence exposed that the policy purporting to lessen the risk of harm was actually likely to increase it.&nbsp; The policy fundamentally weakens protections for vulnerable detainees leading to more rather than fewer being detained, for longer. <br />&nbsp;<br />The Home Office admitted it unlawfully detained the seven detainee claimants and applied the policy wrongly in 57 per cent of 340 cases in its initial 10 weeks of implementation, describing that as a “bedding in” issue.&nbsp; <br />&nbsp;<br />Systemic policy and healthcare failures were highlighted by last month’s BBC Panorama undercover footage of detainees appearing to be abused, including a guard throttling a detainee whilst threatening to kill him and a nurse colluding in falsifying the detainee’s medical records. Since the documentary was broadcast, three detainees have died in immigration detention. <br />&nbsp;<br />Mr PO, who was unlawfully detained and suffered mental health deterioration while held in detention, said, “I welcome the decision and I am happy that the Judge accepted that the Home Office’s policy to narrow the definition of torture was unlawful. The Home Office said that detention will not affect me because I am not a victim of torture. It is difficult to believe that the Home Office could happily detain me knowing that I was tortured. It affected me greatly to be subjected to this unlawful policy. It has left a scar in my life that will never be healed. Although I was recognised as a refugee by an independent tribunal, the reminder of being detained as a torture survivor is torture in itself. The policy allowed the Home Office to turn a blind eye to my suffering and the suffering of hundreds of other torture survivors. Although I welcome the decision, it is still upsetting that the Home Office, who should protect people like me, rejected me and put me in detention which reminded me of the ordeal I suffered in my country of origin. I hope that the decision will benefit other survivors of torture held in immigration detention and it will prevent the Home Office from implementing a policy that will hurt vulnerable individuals in the future”. <br />&nbsp;<br />A spokesperson for Medical Justice said, “Narrowing the definition of torture by the Home Office demonstrates its sheer contempt for vulnerable detainees whose lives it is responsible for.&nbsp; The Home Office should have welcomed our evidence of the policy’s harm suffered by torture victims, not dismissed it.&nbsp; <br />&nbsp;<br />There is ample justification for immediately releasing all detained adults at risk so they can access the care and support they need in the community.&nbsp; We believe that The Home Office’s denials of systemic healthcare failings&nbsp; for over a decade has enabled mistreatment of detainees and that its inability to stop abuse means that the only solution is to close immigration removal centres.&nbsp; <br />&nbsp;<br />For those detainees excluded by the narrower definition of torture, the policy required specific evidence that detention is likely to cause them harm – described as an “additional hurdle” in the judgment. Not only does the policy lack effective mechanisms for obtaining such evidence, it also weakened already ineffective safeguards, encourages a ‘wait and see’ approach where vulnerable people were detained and allowed to deteriorate until avoidable harm has occurred and can be documented. As such, the policy effectively sanctioned harm to vulnerable detainees. “ <br />&nbsp;<br />Jed Pennington of Bhatt Murphy Solicitors who represent Medical Justice and two of the (ex)detainees said, “It is shameful that the Home Office reintroduced a definition of torture that the High Court had already thrown out under the guise of a policy that is supposed to be more protective of vulnerable detainees.&nbsp; Adults at risk is fundamentally flawed and should be replaced with a framework that genuinely protects the vulnerable with, as a minimum, a prohibition on the detention of all victims of torture or trauma.”” <br />&nbsp;<br />Duncan Lewis Solicitors, representing five of the (ex)detainees said, “This ruling is a great victory for our clients, and should serve as a reminder to Amber Rudd that she and her department are not above the law, but the policy on torture was just one cog in the machinery by which the Home Office demeans and degrades those most in need of protection. We will continue to fight the whole rotten system on behalf of our clients.” <br />&nbsp;<br />The Equality and Human Rights Commission intervened in the case, and their Chair David Isaac said,&nbsp; “People who have been subjected to torture should not be kept in immigration detention. This unlawful policy has been scrapped, but the government should now go further and strengthen the human rights protections for people in immigration detention. It is just one aspect of the government’s immigration detention programme that causes us serious concern. Following recent revelations about the treatment of people in immigration detention, we question the ability of the Home Office to ensure that companies contracted to run immigration detention facilities safeguard people’s basic rights. We are the only country in Europe that doesn’t have a statutory time limit on immigration detention and we continue to call for its introduction.” <br />&nbsp;<br />Martha Spurrier, Director of Liberty, welcomed the ruling but said, “ It is a damning indictment of our Government that this sickening policy ever saw the light of day. In the UK in 2017, the Home Secretary ignored medical expertise, basic humanity and the law to sign off a barbaric policy to lock up traumatised torture survivors. It is symptomatic of a vicious approach to immigration detention that sees thousands of people locked up in brutal conditions around the UK, with no certainty of when or if they will be released. Until that ends, this Government is endorsing abuse.”</p>
<p>Download the full High Court judgement <a title="HC judgement" href="http://www.medicaljustice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/CO-5386-2017_Medical_Justice_v-_SSHD-Approved_Judgment.pdf" target="_blank">here&nbsp;</a></p>
<p>* Medical Justice&nbsp;<a title="Medical Justice" href="http://www.medicaljustice.org.uk/" target="_blank">http://www.medicaljustice.org.uk/</a></p>
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Beliefs and ValuesPeople and PowerNews BriefAmber Rudddetentionhome officeimmigrationMedical JusticetortureUK NewsThu, 12 Oct 2017 06:10:23 +0000agency reporter24432 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukSanctuary Meetings project challenges the 'hostile environment'http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/24194
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<p>Quakers in Britain have this week announced a new project to challenge the government policy of creating a 'hostile environment' for newcomers to Britain, and to replace it instead with a culture of welcoming hospitality.</p>
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<p>Quakers in Britain have this week announced a new project to challenge the government policy of creating a 'hostile environment' for newcomers to Britain, and to replace it instead with a culture of welcoming hospitality.</p>
<p>The new Sanctuary Meetings project – launched at the Quakers' 1400-strong Yearly Meeting Gathering at Warwick University – invites local Quaker communities to commit to building a culture of welcome, challenging racism in all of its forms, and to working together to change the laws on destitution, detention and deportation.</p>
<p>Recognising the action being taken by many Quakers across Britain, local meetings will be provided with training support, regular teleconferences to learn from one-another and an annual retreat to reflect and recuperate. <br /> <br /> The project also provides the framework to campaign on a joint manifesto for change, including restrictions on the use of immigration detention and the right for asylum seekers to work.<br /> </p>
<p>Although the form of each Sanctuary Meeting is different, every meeting is united in the effort to persuade politicians to change the laws that sanction state violence against people not born in Britain.</p>
<p>In a video released to mark the launch, York Quaker and peace activist Kurt Strauss who was as a child helped by Quakers to escape Nazi persecution in 1939 explains: “To me sanctuary means giving help and assistance, not only to people fleeing from persecution but also people fleeing discrimination, from violence, from anything where they need protection. If you're thinking of becoming a Sanctuary Meeting I would encourage you to go ahead."</p>
<p>*Follow Yearly Meeting Gathering online <a href="http://www.quaker.org.uk/ym" target="_blank">here </a>and<a href="http://www.quaker.org.uk/ym" target="_blank"> </a>on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/bymevent" target="_blank">Facebook </a></p>
<p>* Quakers are known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Around 23,000 people attend 478 Quaker meetings in Britain. Their commitment to equality, justice, peace, simplicity and truth challenges them to seek positive social and legislative change.</p>
<p>*Quakers in Britain <a href="http://www.quaker.org.uk/" title="http://www.quaker.org.uk/">http://www.quaker.org.uk/</a></p>
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Beliefs and ValuesEqualityNews Briefasylum seekersdeportationdestitutiondetentionprotectionquakers in britainsanctuaryUK Newsyearly meeting gatheringWed, 02 Aug 2017 07:06:45 +0000agency reporter24194 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukUS detention system 'hazardous to immigrants’ health'http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/23958
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<p>New evidence has emerged of dangerously substandard medical care in US immigration detention at a time when the Trump administration is seeking to increase its use, Human Rights Watch and Community Initiatives for Visiting Immigrants in Confinemen, a group seeking to end immigration detention, said in a report released today.</p>
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<p>New evidence has emerged of dangerously substandard medical care in United States immigration detention at a time when the Trump administration is seeking to increase its use, Human Rights Watch and Community Initiatives for Visiting Immigrants in Confinement (CIVIC), a group seeking to end immigration detention, said in a report released today (May 2017).</p>
<p>The 104-page report, <em>Systemic Indifference: Dangerous &amp; Substandard Medical Care in Immigration Detention, </em>reveals systemic failures, such as unreasonable delays in care and unqualified medical staff, that are likely to expose a record number of people to dangerous conditions under President Donald Trump’s ramped-up deportation and detention plans.</p>
<p>“The data reveals that people in immigration detention died needlessly under the Obama administration, even with its attempts at reform,” said Grace Meng, senior US researcher at Human Rights Watch. “The Trump administration has already announced its intent to roll back key reforms while detaining even more immigrants, which would likely mean more people will die needless and preventable deaths.”</p>
<p>The report is based on independent medical experts’ analyses of records from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) own investigations into 18 deaths in detention from 2012 to 2015, and the medical records of 12 additional people from 10 privately and publicly operated facilities across the country. Human Rights Watch also interviewed more than 90 people who are or were detained, as well as family members, attorneys, immigration advocates, and correctional health experts.</p>
<p>The medical experts found numerous incidents of substandard and dangerous medical care, including failure to follow up on symptoms that required attention; medical personnel apparently practicing beyond the scope of their licenses and expertise; severely inadequate mental health care; the misuse of solitary confinement for people with mental health conditions; and sluggish emergency responses. The experts agreed that such substandard care contributed to seven of the 18 deaths.</p>
<p>Among them was Raul Ernesto Morales Ramos, who died of organ failure with signs of widespread cancer in 2015, after being detained at Adelanto Detention Centre in California. The two experts who reviewed the records from his death investigation found that there had been symptoms of widespread cancer two years earlier, but that they essentially went unaddressed until a month before he died. Throughout this time, Morales-Ramos repeatedly begged for care.</p>
<p>Tiombe Carlos, detained at York County Prison in Pennsylvania, died in 2013, in her second suicide attempt in the two-and-a-half years she was detained. Staff knew she had a mental health condition requiring substantial support, but failed to create a mental health treatment plan. One expert called the mental health care she received “woefully inadequate.”</p>
<p>ICE officials at Hudson County Correctional Facility in New Jersey told Human Rights Watch that registered nurses review requests for care and that everyone is seen within 24 hours. But the medical records of one man indicated that when he sought care for abdominal pain so strong that he wrote, “I cannot walk with the pain,” he was only seen a month later.</p>
<p>The experts emphasised that in several instances there was evidence of substandard medical practices that could put people throughout entire facilities at risk of serious harm, even if it did not necessarily contribute to the person’s death. In the case of one man who died in 2014, the ICE investigation found a licensed vocational nurse was attempting to record vital signs four weeks after the fact “from memory.”</p>
<p>“The sheer number and consistency of cases involving inadequate medical care point to a crisis that warrants immediate action,” said Christina Fialho, an attorney and the co-executive director of CIVIC. “The medical experts’ analyses confirm what we have been hearing from detained immigrants for years. It’s past time to put an end to the substandard medical practices that harm many people in immigration detention each year.”</p>
<p>Human Rights Watch and CIVIC concluded that the US government lacks effective means to monitor and correct these problems in facilities under its control. An audit of Eloy Detention Centre in Arizona by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations prior to a string of suicides stated there was appropriate policy and procedure for suicide intervention. However, successive death investigations conducted by the ICE Office of Detention Oversight after the suicides flagged the lack of a suicide prevention plan.</p>
<p>In addition, according to its annual report to Congress, the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, an oversight body, sent ICE 49 recommendations to improve conditions at an unnamed facility in Arizona that is clearly Eloy. It took ICE two years to respond, and the civil rights office concluded that it had not responded appropriately to 30 of the recommendations. Dr Marc Stern, a correctional health expert who reviewed all the documents in this report, concluded, “From the evidence that I saw in the cases that I reviewed, we have a system that is broken for detainee health care, and adding more detainees to that system can only make it worse.”</p>
<p>Other experts who reviewed records for Human Rights Watch are Dr Allan Keller, an expert in access to health care for prisoners, and Dr Palav Babaria, chief administrative officer of ambulatory services at Alameda Health System in Oakland, California.</p>
<p>The US currently detains about 40,000 people a day, or more than 400,000 per year, at an annual cost of $2 billion. Many people in detention are blocked under US law from having a bond hearing to determine whether their detention is necessary. The Trump administration’s recent request for supplemental funding had included a request for $1.2 billion for increased detention capacity from the 34,000 beds to an unprecedented 45,700. It is likely some of the $1.5 billion for border security in the reported appropriation deal will be used for increased deportation and detention, and more funds are likely to be requested for the final fiscal year 2018 budget.</p>
<p>In California, which detains more immigrants than any state except Texas, a bill is pending that could improve conditions. Senate Bill 29, Dignity Not Detention, would require localities which hold immigrants in detention for the federal government to adhere to the 2011 Performance-Based National Detention Standards and make these standards enforceable by the California Attorney General’s Office and local district and city attorneys.</p>
<p>“The detention system was sprawling and bloated, with oversight mechanisms that had no teeth even before President Trump was elected,” Meng said. “True reform to protect the rights of the men, women, and children in immigration detention should include an overhaul of laws that often require detention for no good reason.”</p>
<p>* Read the report, <em>Systemic Indifference: Dangerous &amp; Substandard Medical Care in Immigration Detention,</em> <a href="The%20US%20currently%20detains%20about%2040,000%20people%20a%20day,%20or%20more%20than%20400,000%20per%20year,%20at%20an%20annual%20cost%20of%20US$2%20billion.%20Many%20people%20in%20detention%20are%20blocked%20under%20US%20law%20from%20having%20a%20bond%20hearing%20to%20determine%20whether%20their%20detention%20is%20necessary.%20The%20Trump%20administration’s%20recent%20request%20for%20supplemental%20funding%20had%20included%20a%20request%20for%20$1.2%20billion%20for%20increased%20detention%20capacity%20from%20the%2034,000%20beds%20to%20an%20unprecedented%2045,700.%20It%20is%20likely%20some%20of%20the%20$1.5%20billion%20for%20border%20security%20in%20the%20reported%20appropriation%20deal%20will%20be%20used%20for%20increased%20deportation%20and%20detention,%20and%20more%20funds%20are%20likely%20to%20be%20requested%20for%20the%20final%20fiscal%20year%202018%20budget.%20%20In%20California,%20which%20detains%20more%20immigrants%20than%20any%20state%20except%20Texas,%20a%20bill%20is%20pending%20that%20could%20improve%20conditions.%20Senate%20Bill%2029,%20Dignity%20Not%20Detention,%20would%20require%20localities%20that%20hold%20immigrants%20in%20detention%20for%20the%20federal%20government%20to%20adhere%20to%20the%202011%20Performance-Based%20National%20Detention%20Standards%20and%20make%20these%20standards%20enforceable%20by%20the%20California%20Attorney%20General’s%20Office%20and%20local%20district%20and%20city%20attorneys.%20%20“The%20detention%20system%20was%20sprawling%20and%20bloated,%20with%20oversight%20mechanisms%20that%20had%20no%20teeth%20even%20before%20President%20Trump%20was%20elected,”%20Meng%20said.%20“True%20reform%20to%20protect%20the%20rights%20of%20the%20men,%20women,%20and%20children%20in%20immigration%20detention%20should%20include%20an%20overhaul%20of%20laws%20that%20often%20require%20detention%20for%20no%20good%20reason.”" target="_blank">here</a></p>
<p>* CIVIC <a href="http://www.endisolation.org/" title="http://www.endisolation.org/">http://www.endisolation.org/</a></p>
<p>* Human Rights Watch <a href="https://www.hrw.org/" title="https://www.hrw.org/">https://www.hrw.org/</a></p>
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EqualityNews Briefdetentionhealth carehuman rights watchimmigrationUnited StatesWorld NewsMon, 08 May 2017 07:53:41 +0000agency reporter23958 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukCall for Russia to release peaceful protestorshttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/23853
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<p>Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny and all peaceful protesters detained after the mass anti-corruptiondemonstrations across the country on 26 March must be released immediately, said Amnesty International, after Mr Navalny was sentenced to 15 days in jail.</p>
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<p><strong></strong>Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny and all peaceful protesters detained after the mass anti-corruption demonstrations across the country on 26 March 2017 must be released immediately, said Amnesty International, after Mr Navalny was sentenced to 15 days in jail.</p>
<p>After being detained on Triumfalnaya Square in Moscow and spending a night at a police station, Navalny was fined under one set of charges (organising the protest) before then being presented with a new charge while in court (disobedience to police for purportedly resisting his arrest) for which he was jailed.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, officers from the Investigative Committee have appeared in a number of Moscow police stations where the protesters are held, suggesting that criminal charges against some of them are being initiated or considered.</p>
<p>A monitor for Amnesty witnessed the arrest of dozens of peaceful demonstrators in Moscow's Pushkin Square yesterday, observing numerous instances of excessive use of force by the police. In particular, riot policemen surrounded people standing on the staircases of the cinema theatre Rossiya and then began to push them down the stairs, provoking a stampede and causing more people to fall. Amnesty also saw teenagers beaten by police, and bystanders and journalists arbitrarily detained.</p>
<p>While Amnesty had not witnessed any incidents of violence on the part of demonstrators, one policeman in Moscow reportedly became unconscious after being beaten up and one protester was detained for kicking a policeman in the city of Volgograd.</p>
<p>Altogether, according to independent monitors' estimates, more than 1,000 people were taken into custody in Moscow, 130 in St Petersburg and hundreds in other cities. According to media reports, detentions also took place during rallies in Chelyabinsk, Kazan, Khabarovsk, Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Krasnodar, Makhachkala, Naberezhnye Chelny, Nizhny Novgorod, Pskov, Samara, Tambov, Vladivostok, Volgograd, Yekaterinburg, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and other cities.</p>
<p>Anti-corruption protests took place on Sunday in Moscow and several dozen Russian cities. Out of more than 80 rally authorisation requests across Russia, only 21 were granted by the local authorities. In Moscow and St Petersburg, the protesters took to the streets despite the de facto bans in place.</p>
<p>Sergei Nikitin, Director of Amnesty International Russia, said: "By detaining hundreds of protesters, the Russian authorities have demonstrated their profound disdain for the right to freedom of expression and assembly. Russia has broken its own sad record for mass detentions by arresting more than one thousand people on the same day in Moscow alone.</p>
<p>"All the peaceful protesters must be immediately released; no one should be imprisoned for merely exercising their rights to expression and peaceful assembly."</p>
<p>* Amnesty International <a href="https://www.amnesty.org.uk/" title="https://www.amnesty.org.uk/">https://www.amnesty.org.uk/</a></p>
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People and PowerNews BriefAmnesty Internationalanti-corruptionarrestsdetentionfreedom of assemblyfreedom of expressionpeaceful protestRussiaWorld NewsTue, 28 Mar 2017 08:13:27 +0000agency reporter23853 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukInspectors criticise 'prison like' immigration centrehttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/23836
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<p>A ‘prison like' immigration removal centre&nbsp; has been criticised by the Chief Inspector of Prisons for detaining too many people for too long.</p>
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<p>A ‘prison like' immigration removal centre (IRC) has been criticised by the Chief Inspector of Prisons for detaining too many people for too long.</p>
<p>In a recent inspection of Morton Hall, an IRC near Lincoln, inspectors discovered that 31 people had been held for over a year, including three who had been detained for two years. On average, people were locked up at Morton Hall for over three months.</p>
<p>Worryingly, the inspection also revealed that three children had wrongly been imprisoned alongside adults: one for 12 days, one for 36 days and one for 151 days. Some of these detentions were prolonged because of disagreements between local authorities over who was responsible for assessing the child’s age.</p>
<p>Cases of self harm at the centre had also rocketed, with inspectors revealing there had been a three fold increase. The revelation follows two recent deaths at Morton Hall. Inspectors said that a new Government ‘adults at risk’ policy, designed to protect vulnerable detainees, wasn’t understood, with staff unable to identify people who’d been identified as at risk of harm.</p>
<p>Responding to the report, Refugee Council Policy Manager Judith Dennis said: "This troubling report further reminds us that the Government’s immigration detention estate is a stain on the nation’s conscience. Every year, thousands of people, including children, are spirited away, sometimes in the dead of night, through a shadowy government policy, to these bleak prisons.</p>
<p>"What’s even more alarming is the fact that people entering immigration detention have absolutely no idea when they’ll be released, leaving many people with their mental health in ruins. If the Government truly believes in justice and liberty, then it must close Morton Hall and places like it as soon as possible.”</p>
<p>* Refugee Council <a href="http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/" title="http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/">http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/</a></p>
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<p><strong><a class="small" href="http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/admin/page_types/5/pages/www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/donate">&nbsp;</a></strong></p>
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EqualityNews Briefchief inspector of prisonschildrendetentionimmigrationRefugee CouncilUK NewsTue, 21 Mar 2017 09:19:11 +0000agency reporter23836 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukIsraeli action on WCC leadership 'unjust, discriminatory and misinformed'http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/23615
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<p>In a statement following Israeli authorities’ detention, interrogation and deportation of the World Council of Churches Associate General Secretary Prof Dr Isabel Apawo Phiri upon arrival in Tel Aviv, the WCC ”deeply regrets the Israeli antagonism against the WCC’s initiatives for peace with justice for both Palestinians and Israelis.”</p>
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<p>In a statement issued on 6 December 2016, following Israeli authorities’ detention, interrogation and deportation of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Associate General Secretary Prof Dr Isabel Apawo Phiri upon arrival in Tel Aviv, the WCC ”deeply regrets the Israeli antagonism against the WCC’s initiatives for peace with justice for both Palestinians and Israelis.”</p>
<p>Phiri was travelling to attend consultations with church leaders in Jerusalem on the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI), one of the many programmes and activities supported by the WCC globally.</p>
<p>Noting that Phiri was the only African member of the WCC staff delegation, the only one denied entry, and that the reason given for her deportation was “Prevention of illegal immigration considerations”, the WCC has instructed its legal representatives to immediately lodge an appeal against “this patently unjust and discriminatory action against Phiri.”</p>
<p>“The accusations made against the WCC and the EAPPI programme in the interrogation of Dr Phiri and published in the media today are completely false” said WCC General Secretary the Rev Dr Olav Fykse Tveit. “I am very surprised and dismayed that the Israeli Ministry of Interior is apparently basing its decisions on incorrect and unreliable sources.”</p>
<p>Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI )is a concrete response to an appeal to the World Council of Churches from church leaders in Jerusalem in 2002. They wrote in a letter: “We would respectfully request protection of all people in order to assist the re-establishment of mutual trust and security for Israelis and Palestinians. Further, we would call on all peace-loving people from around the world to come and join us in a manifestation for just peace”.</p>
<p>Over 70 churches, ecumenical bodies and specialised ministries in 22 countries from Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and Latin America actively participate in the programme. Almost 1,800 accompaniers have participated.</p>
<p class="Body">* The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, by the end of 2012 the WCC had 345 member churches representing more than 500 million Christians from Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other traditions in over 110 countries. The WCC works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church.</p>
<p class="Body">* World Council of Churches <a href="http://www.oikoumene.org/en" title="http://www.oikoumene.org/en">http://www.oikoumene.org/en</a></p>
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EqualityPeace and NonviolenceNews BriefdetentionEAPPIisraelisrael-palestinejust peacewcc. world council of churchesWorld NewsWed, 07 Dec 2016 09:50:21 +0000agency reporter23615 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukRenewed crackdown on Iranian women's rights activistshttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/23329
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<p>The Iranian authorities have intensified their repression of women's rights activists in the country in the past six months, carrying out a series of harsh interrogations accusing activists of being "spies" who seek the "overthrow" of the government, says Amnesty International.</p>
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<p>The Iranian authorities have intensified their repression of women's rights activists in the country in the past six months, carrying out a series of harsh interrogations accusing activists of being "spies" who seek the "overthrow" of the government, says Amnesty International.</p>
<p>Since January, more than a dozen women's rights activists in Tehran have been summoned for long interrogations by the Revolutionary Guards and threatened with imprisonment on national security-related charges. Many had been involved in a campaign launched in October which called for the increased representation of women in Iran's recent parliamentary elections.</p>
<p>Women taken in for interrogations have been given no reason for their summonses, but once inside the interrogation room were bombarded with accusations of espionage and collusion with "foreign-based currents seeking the overthrow of the Islamic Republic system". Amnesty understands that the Revolutionary Guards subjected the women to verbal abuse, including gender-related slurs. The activists were not allowed to be accompanied by their lawyers during interrogations, which in some cases lasted eight hours.</p>
<p>Amnesty also understands that interrogations focused on two initiatives: a website called 'Feminist School', which posts articles on feminist theories and the state of women's rights in Iran and globally; and the Campaign to Change the Masculine Face of Parliament, launched ahead of February's parliamentary elections to push for more pro-women's rights candidates in parliament. Members of both initiatives have been pressured to close or suspend their activities. In its final statement, the Campaign to Change the Masculine Face of Parliament explained how its achievements – including a five-fold increase in the number of women seeking candidacy&nbsp;– have attracted the wrath of security bodies, leading to repeated summonses, threats, prolonged interrogations and the opening of national security-related cases against the campaign's active members. For its part, the Feminist School website has not been updated since mid-February.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the latest target in the intensified crackdown is the renowned women's rights magazine Zanan-e Emrooz (Today's Women) which on 26 July announced it was suspending its activities.</p>
<p>Amnesty International's Deputy Middle East and North Africa Director Magdalena Mughrabi said: "Speaking up for women's equality is not a crime. We are calling for an immediate end to this heightened harassment and intimidation, which is yet another blow for women's rights in Iran.</p>
<p>"Rather than addressing Iran's disturbing record on women's rights, the Iranian authorities have once again opted for repression, accusing women's rights activists of collusion in western-orchestrated plots in a bid to maintain their discriminatory practices towards women."</p>
<p>One notable example of the renewed assault on those working on women's rights issues in Iran is the 6 June&nbsp; 2016 arrest of Dr Homa Hoodfar, a Canadian-Iranian anthropology professor renowned for her decades of academic work on women's issues. Amongst other things, Dr Hoodfar has worked with the international feminist network Women Living Under Muslim Laws.</p>
<p>Except for one brief meeting with her lawyer, Hoodfar has been held largely incommunicado since her arrest and is currently held in Tehran's notorious Evin Prison. In a media interview on 24 June, Tehran's prosecutor general said that Hoodfar's 'criminal' case is in connection with "her entry into fields concerning feminism and national security offences". Days earlier media outlets affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards ran articles claiming that Hoodfar was "the Iran agent of a feminist network building operation" and the Campaign to Change the Masculine Face of Parliament was "her latest project". The articles also claimed that her work with Women Living Under Muslim Laws was aimed at "disrupting public order" and "prompting social-cultural changes that can ultimately pave the ground ... for a soft overthrow".</p>
<p>Tens of thousands of Amnesty supporters have called for her immediate and unconditional release as she is a prisoner of conscience held solely for the peaceful exercise of her right to free expression.</p>
<p>Magdalena Mughrabi added: "It is appalling that the Iranian authorities are equating Dr Homa Hoodfar's valuable work relating to feminism and women's rights in Muslim contexts with national security offences. The Iranian authorities must release Dr Homa Hoodfar immediately and unconditionally and stop their relentless harassment of all women's rights activists in the country."</p>
<p>Women in Iran are subject to pervasive discrimination both in law and practice, including in areas concerning marriage, divorce, child custody, freedom of movement, employment and access to political office. Women and girls are inadequately protected against domestic and other violence, including early and forced marriage and marital rape. Compulsory 'veiling' laws empower police and paramilitary forces to target women for harassment, violence and imprisonment.</p>
<p>* Amnesty International <a href="https://www.amnesty.org.uk/" title="https://www.amnesty.org.uk/">https://www.amnesty.org.uk/</a></p>
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EqualityNews BriefactivistsAmnesty Internationaldetentionfreedom of expressioninterrogationIranwomen's rightsWorld NewsThu, 11 Aug 2016 08:07:39 +0000agency reporter23329 at http://www.ekklesia.co.uk